By Yip Yew Chong | Singapore |
My encounters with Mr Singh were brief and seemingly mundane. However, the endearing memories flow in my mind like a poem.
My upcoming books and exhibition will feature Mr Singh. ‘Art of Joy’ tells how I was inspired to paint him. In ‘I Paint my Singapore’ you can try find and count how many times he appears in the painting!
In ‘I Paint my Singapore’, you can find in many scenes a Mr Singh with a green turban, on a bicycle. He is Mr Souran Singh. I first met him in November 2015.
I was painting at a mural at Everton Road. He cycled past the mural twice everyday to and from the nearby Silat Road Sikh Temple. He would stand on the opposite pavement and watched me paint.This happened throughout the two weeks of painting. But we didn’t talk. We just smiled and nodded at each other.
On the last painting day, I invited him to take a photo together. I asked for his home address so that I can print and send the photos to him.
When I realised he lived in a flat at nearby Everton Park, I hand-delivered the printed photos to his home.
In January 2017, I bumped onto him and his bicycle. We took a photo together again!
In April 2023, upon securing the exhibition venue of ‘I Paint my Singapore’, I wanted to invite Mr Souran Singh to the exhibition. I thought he would be delighted to see himself featured in the painting. I posted an Instagram story to search for him.
Within two hours, I received several direct messages from Mr Singh’s relatives. They informed me that he has passed on in 2020. They thanked me for remembering and painting him! I will be inviting his relatives to the exhibition. It will be a memorable gathering. How I wish Mr Souran Singh sees the painting!
Yip Yew Chong is a Singaporean visual artist who practises murals, canvas paintings, sketches and installations. The above is an entry at his Facebook page. Click here for more photos.
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(Asia Samachar, x 2023)
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